The discussion throughout this specification comes about due to the realisation of the inventors and/or the identification of certain prior art problems by the inventors.
There is a general need in the manufacture of certain goods to provide inspection of as much production line product as possible. This enables manufacturers to reduce waste and the number of faulty products reaching customers, enhances the manufacturer's reputation whilst reducing the cost of dealing with customer complaints or product liability problems and/or addresses regulation and/or compliance issues, such as the correct inclusion of contents into packages.
Traditional inspection techniques which rely on check-weighers, vision systems, x-ray, ultrasonic, gamma ray and capacitive inspection systems usually occupying a finite amount of production line space (length). Many such systems are considered to be relatively bulky with the result that installation of inspection systems into existing production lines is often very difficult. Furthermore, whilst some systems cannot inspect inside sealed packages, some other systems are unable to reliably inspect inside sealed packs.
Any discussion of documents, devices, acts or knowledge in this specification is included to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the material forms a part of the prior art base or the common general knowledge in the relevant art in Australia or elsewhere on or before the priority date of the disclosure and claims herein.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved inspection apparatus and/or method.
It is a further object of the embodiments described herein to overcome or alleviate at least one of the above noted drawbacks of related art systems or to at least provide a useful alternative to related art systems.